When the Telecommunications Act of 1996 ended the local Bell monopoly, an explosion in broadband services quickly reshaped the communication and business landscape. Competition from new businesses and entrepreneurs unleashed innovations across all sectors of the economy, creating jobs while providing a platform for connectivity and new ideas. Today, competitive innovations - such as VOIP, Ethernet and the cloud-related services are leading the industry into the future and driving new investment into networks and the economy at large.

While the consumer market has seen some migration to wireless communication, the business marketplace has more complex needs, in particular, the need for sustained quality and reliability of wired networks, as well as the ability to customize systems to meet growth needs. But as technology advances, the competitive policies that fostered this innovation are at risk.

Efforts to play favorites with technologies by big telecom providers while denying interconnection threaten the ability of innovators to use broadband networks to bring new ideas to market and create jobs. This will also have an impact on the local communities they serve. The panel will discuss the opportunities and threats facing broadband networks, as well as the role of the FCC in ensuring the principles of competition are applied to markets as technology continues to evolve.